2. Meditation on the Day’s Psalm

Psalm 17:6-15

6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;incline your ear to me; hear my words.7 Wondrously show[a] your steadfast love,O Savior of those who seek refugefrom their adversaries at your right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;hide me in the shadow of your wings,9 from the wicked who do me violence,my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They close their hearts to pity;with their mouths they speak arrogantly.11 They have now surrounded our steps;they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.12 He is like a lion eager to tear,as a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,14 from men by your hand, O Lord,from men of the world whose portion is in this life.[b]You fill their womb with treasure;[c]they are satisfied with children,and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

1 John 3:1-24

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s[b] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Love One Another

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[c] that the world hates you.14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[d] and God[e] in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Footnotes:

1 John 3:2 Or when it appears

1 John 3:9 Greek his

1 John 3:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 14, 16

You might need to pull up Google to understand this bio for Rev. Jonathan Fisk. If you ask him what he has in his favorite mug, it’s probably Bulletproof coffee with Matcha Tea. This native West Coaster keeps two chickens, Arrakis and Shai Hulud, but if he cooks for you, you’ll get to taste his famous curry. Although his bookshelf is full of theological books, you’ll most likely find him reading Herman Sasse. When he’s not cranking out programming and interviewing guests, you might find him in jeans and flip flops writing his next bit of fiction or finding the next island he’d like to explore.